NOVEMBER 18 2024
• Nordic Capital has entered into exclusive negotiations regarding the acquisition of a controlling interest in Anaqua from its existing shareholders led by Astorg
• A strategic investment focused on driving the continued growth of one of the world’s leading Intellectual Property Management software platforms, serving the largest and most innovative organisations
Nordic Capital, an experienced private equity investor in Technology & Payments globally, has entered into exclusive negotiations regarding the acquisition of Anaqua from Astorg. Anaqua is a leading provider of innovation and intellectual property (IP) management technology solutions and services, trusted by nearly half of the top 100 U.S patent holders, leading global brands, and numerous law firms worldwide. This acquisition would support Anaqua’s global expansion and strengthen its market position by continuing to invest in its best-in-class software platform and enhancing its operational capabilities.
Anaqua’s differentiated solution integrates best-practice workflows, data analytics, foreign filings, and patent and trademark renewal payments into a single, mission critical software platform. This platform offers a unique end-to-end value proposition to streamline operations, inform strategy and empower decision-making around customers’ valuable IP portfolios.
"Nordic Capital shares our vision of a software-led IP management platform, making them the ideal partner for our next phase of growth. Their deep sector experience, successful history of investing in software companies and vast global network would help us continue to transform the IP management industry,” commented Bob Romeo, CEO at Anaqua. “Nordic Capital would enable us to accelerate our global expansion, enhance our technology-driven solutions and drive operational excellence, all of which is for the ultimate benefit of our clients,” added Justin Crotty, COO at Anaqua.
Anaqua was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts with offices across the US, Europe and Asia. Today, driven by more than 800 employees globally, Anaqua has grown into a leader in IP SaaS solutions. Its scalable cloud platform helps thousands of blue-chip corporate and law firm clients, including Nvidia, Honda, and IBM, to elevate innovation and IP management from asset protection to strategic advantage.
“Nordic Capital has closely followed Anaqua’s impressive progress and would be pleased to invest in a leader in IP management and innovation technology. This partnership would align with our commitment to supporting companies that drive industry transformation and would fit perfectly with Nordic Capital’s technology investment strategy. We look forward to supporting Anaqua in its next phase of growth, helping them to expand their global footprint further and establishing the leading IP management platform for innovation-driven industries,” commented Fredrik Näslund, Partner and Head of Technology & Payments, at Nordic Capital Advisors.
Nordic Capital has over 20 years of experience accelerating the growth of innovative technology companies and would be set to leverage its deep sub-sector and operational knowledge to create value and boost Anaqua’s ambitious plans. It has made 33 technology investments in companies with an aggregate enterprise value of circa EUR 26 billion, including ArisGlobal, Inovalon, Macrobond, Regnology, Trustly and Zafin. Nordic Capital also has a long history of investing in partnerships with owners, founders and management.
In recent years, the global IP landscape has been significantly influenced by advancements in technology and the increasing importance of data-driven decision-making. Increasingly relevant trends in the space include the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in IP management, the rise of big data analytics and the need for robust IP protection frameworks. Anaqua is at the forefront of these trends, offering a comprehensive platform to streamline IP operations and enhance strategic decision-making. By addressing the complexities of IP management with fully-integrated solutions, Anaqua is well-positioned to meet the evolving needs of companies worldwide and drive the future of the industry.
The financial terms of the transaction are confidential as agreed upon by all parties. Relevant staff representatives are being consulted as per applicable laws and, subject to approval from the relevant regulatory and antitrust authorities, closing could occur by Q1 2025. William Blair acted as financial advisor to Nordic Capital. Arma Partners and Jefferies acted as exclusive financial advisors and Latham & Watkins acted as legal advisor to Astorg and Anaqua on this transaction.
Media contacts:
Nordic Capital
Elin Ljung
Managing Director, Head of Communications & Sustainability
+46 70-866 10 40
elin.ljung@nordiccapital.com
US media contact – Brunswick Group
nordiccapitalus@brunswickgroup.com
Anaqua
Nancy Hegarty
VP Marketing
Tel: +1.617.375.2655
nhegarty@anaqua.com
About Anaqua
Anaqua, Inc. is a premium provider of integrated technology solutions and services for the management of intellectual property (IP). Anaqua's AQX® and PATTSY WAVE® IP management solutions combine best practice workflows with big data analytics and technology-enabled services to create an intelligent environment that informs IP strategies, enables IP decisions and streamlines IP processes. Today, nearly half of the 100 largest U.S. patent applicants and global brands, as well as a growing number of law firms worldwide, use Anaqua's solutions. Over two million IP executives, lawyers, paralegals, administrators and innovators use the platform for their IP management. The company is headquartered in Boston, with additional offices in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. For more information, please visit anaqua.com or LinkedIn.
About Nordic Capital
Nordic Capital is a leading sector-specialist private equity investor with a resolute commitment to creating stronger, sustainable businesses through operational improvement and transformative growth. Nordic Capital focuses on selected regions and sectors where it has deep experience and a long history. Focus sectors are Healthcare, Technology & Payments, Financial Services, and Services & Industrial Tech. Key regions are Europe and globally for Healthcare and Technology & Payments investments. Since inception in 1989, Nordic Capital has invested EUR 26 billion in close to 150 investments. The most recent entities are Nordic Capital XI with EUR 9.0 billion in committed capital and Nordic Capital Evolution with EUR 1.2 billion in committed capital, principally provided by international institutional investors such as pension funds. Nordic Capital Advisors have local offices in Sweden, the UK, the US, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and South Korea. www.nordiccapital.com.
“Nordic Capital” refers to, depending on the context, any, or all, Nordic Capital branded entities, vehicles, structures, and associated entities. The general partners and/or delegated portfolio managers of Nordic Capital’s entities and vehicles are advised by several non-discretionary sub-advisory entities, any or all of which are referred to as “Nordic Capital Advisors”.
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